The Wind of Change
by CrystalMoonlightII
Summary: Makoto's set of morals have been thrown into chaos. The words Setsuna left him with before she departed for France have made him question the kind of person he really is. How will Makoto act next in his fragile mental state? *PAIRINGS TBC* (UPDATED! SORRY FOR THE WAIT!)
1. Words From The Heart

**I thought I'd take a chance to experiment with Makoto's character. We begin the story in Makoto's house on the night Setsuna stays with him. Things will take a very interesting turn however... **

**Is it really possible for Makoto to change his ways?**

**This is my first School Days story. Hope you like it.**

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><p>Rain. The endless rain that never seemed to relent. The kind of weather that bore into the human heart. Crystal tears that made people yearn for answers and contentment.<p>

Setsuna had arrived at Makoto's house just an hour earlier. Little did Ito know it, but she was there for a VERY important reason indeed. It was up to her to make a stand. One question had continued to echo in her mind all the way over to Makoto's house as well.

Could she put an end to this before it was too late?

Makoto had changed over the past few months, badly. It was almost like the young man who encouraged her to become Class Rep wasn't even there now.

He had become twisted, obsessed even. Nothing seemed to matter to him apart from the attention of countless women. Sex.. Emotionless, soulless sex, based on nothing but personal gratification. Or perhaps it was greed?

Either way... Setsuna was running out of time. It wouldn't be long until she had to leave this city of hers. Europe was calling to her, and it was a call that she had to heed. This was her ONE chance, and her only chance...

Makoto would be made to listen to her, no matter what the cost.

Knowing what he had become would only make that easier for her too.

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><p>Makoto sat himself down beside Setsuna on the bed.<p>

"So that means you like me too?" His question was carried in a confident tone of voice.

There was no response from Setsuna. She wasn't going to attempt an answer at such an obvious question. Would she have kissed him earlier that day in front Katsura if she DIDN'T like him?

Her silence didn't make much of a difference though, as Makoto didn't even wait for a response. He hastily embraced her, and that was the perfect moment.

In an instant Makoto felt a burning feeling in his chest. The next thing he knew, he had stumbled across the room and hit the opposite wall with a THUD.

When he finally looked up Setsuna was standing above him, gazing into his bewildered eyes with a serious expression. Makoto couldn't believe it! Why did she punch him?

"This needs to stop."

That was the only thing Setsuna could bring herself to say.

Ito looked deep into her eyes with sheer confusion. He didn't know if he was angry, or afraid. This was Setsuna Kiyoura who was towering above him right now. Even with her small size Makoto felt like he had a giant stood before him. He had been knocked off his pedestal, and shock was setting in.

"I said this needs to stop, Makoto. Please listen to me." Kiyoura repeated.

For a moment it seemed like time itself was frozen solid. It took such a long time for Ito to snap back to reality. So many different feelings were going through his head at once.

He stood shakily, and eventually mustered a very quiet response.

"Setsuna... Why... Why did you do that? What do you mean by _this_ has to stop?"

The expression on Kiyoura's face seemed to become colder at that point. She couldn't deny the feelings in her heart. She cared for Ito deeply but he'd changed so much. This was why she also felt deeply repelled from him at the same time.

He didn't see the damage he was causing around him. The hurt and suffering in the hearts of all the young women he claimed to 'care' about was beginning to spiral out of control.

Sekai was spending days at a time out of school. It was obvious to Setsuna why that was happening as well. The way Makoto had been treating the young lady was pushing her to the edge.

He lied to Katsura as well, even though it was obvious she had intense feelings for him. Now to make things worse he was also casually sleeping with Otome. Things were beginning to get VERY messy indeed. So messy, that before long someone was going to get hurt beyond belief.

That was why Kiyoura decided to see Makoto tonight. Her time in this country was running out fast. She had to make a difference. Not just for the sake of Sekai, but for the sake of all of the people Ito had selfishly become involved with.

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><p>"I'm talking about the way you keep treating everyone, Makoto." Setsuna replied.<p>

There she stood, keeping her daunting glare fixed on his eyes. At this point Ito was beginning to look pretty afraid of the woman stood before him.

Makoto just stood there looking stunned and unnerved. How could he possibly muster a response to something like that? Could he really justify his actions? Was what he was doing all of this time the right thing?

No, of course it wasn't. Even though Ito knew that, he just kept on denying it. He denied it because he'd become fixated on the attention of all these women, and intoxicated by it. At this point it wasn't about love, but more like the things they could give to him...

Deep down he knew that, and he hated it. Some nights he'd actually think about it too, but he'd still be just as quick to deny it. The reason?

The way he was becoming made him feel very afraid, yet he couldn't stop. It was fast becoming a craving. It was on the verge of turning into something he couldn't possibly live without. Just like the air he breathed, Makoto Ito was becoming overwhelmed with the need for sex.

Setsuna took a small step back, now softening the look in her eyes. It still had intense sincerity and meaningfulness within it however.

"Be careful with your choice." She began.

"Don't walk too far down the wrong path. You're changing, but it isn't too late for you to remember who you really _are__. _Makoto... If you can't do this for me OR anyone else, then do it for yourself. I'll be leaving soon, but never forget..."

Though it was hardly visible, the smallest tear rolled down her cheek. It really was hurting Kiyoura to see him like this...

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><p>"Never forget that you can always change things for the better..."<p>

She turned to walk away, picking up her luggage case as she headed for the door. Makoto was too stunned by her words to do anything... He couldn't move no matter how hard he tried.

Setsuna stopped at the front door for a moment. She would more than likely never see Ito again after this. In truth, that hurt her. All she could do at this point was hold back the tears as she pulled open the apartment's front door.

Then she heard footsteps on the carpet behind her.

"Kiyoura... Wait..." It was Makoto's shaken voice.

The petitte young woman stopped, but only for a moment.

"You'll lose everyone if you take them for granted. There's nothing worse than being alone..."

Those words made Makoto fall silent...

Setsuna stepped out into the rain without even saying another word. She had accomplished her goal for this evening. After the door shut behind her she walked away into the rainy darkness of night.

The young lady wouldn't be able to do anything else at this point. The rest was up to Ito to accomplish by himself.

In the morning she would be leaving Japan. However, there was one thing that kept spinning around in her mind.

If Setsuna ever returned to this city again, what kind of scene would she be greeted by? One of happiness, or one of pain?

At this early stage she really didn't know.

Makoto on the other hand was sat in a heap on the hallway carpet. The words of Setsuna were racing around his head like wildfire.

"Could she be right?" He asked himself.

Only one thing was certain for both of them. Time would be the great decider of events yet to come.

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><p><strong>That's all for now! Thanks for taking the time to read this. I still can't decide if I should leave this story as a oneshot or upload some more chapters.<strong>

**I'd like to thank you once more for taking the time to read this. If you liked it I'd be very gracious if you left me some feedback! There might be more to come soon!  
><strong>


	2. The Secluded Soul

**Hello again folks! In this chapter we see Makoto's reaction to the conversation he had with Setsuna. I can guarantee It'll be interesting. The state of mind he's declined into will be quite a drastic change.**

**We begin this chapter three weeks after Setsuna's departure! Enjoy!**

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><p><em>'You'll lose everyone if you take them for granted. There's nothing worse than being alone...'<em>

The final thing Setsuna said kept on echoing in the head of Makoto. It repeated day after day, none stop. It was proof that sometimes actions didn't have the power to be louder than words.

After Kiyoura's departure the young man had gone very quiet indeed.

If anything it had thrown him into a great spiral of confusion. Before their talk he was beginning to lose track of what he was doing. The relationships Makoto was getting involved in had become almost like second nature. His actions weren't something he was stopping to actually think about very much at that point. Ignorance had managed to blind him.

It was only then, after seeing Setsuna, that he really started to question the choices he was making. Bit by bit, it had pushed him into a phase of reflection. A phase or reflection so strong that Ito had fallen into seclusion for the past few weeks.

For three entire weeks Makoto hadn't once stepped foot in school. The fear of what would await him due to his twisted desires was enough to unnerve him. Three young ladies in particular had something in common. Kotonoha, Sekai and Otome had each been used by Makoto at one point for the sake of his personal gain.

In truth, Ito's mind was becoming a chaotic place. Now that he was finally aware of the situation's depth, it would be hard, if not totally impossible to correct.

He'd taken the hearts of three good women. Each of them had a great deal of love and affection for him. Instead of choosing the noble path, Ito had followed the path of greed and selfishness. His lust for more had pushed him into lying and being unfaithful.

Regardless of the situation he faced, time was against Makoto. He'd been out of school for quite a while now. So many times in fact, that he'd pretty much used all of his absences for the entire year in his second term. If Makoto didn't go back soon he'd be forced to leave.

That was also where the biggest problem was waiting for him. Over the previous weeks indoors Ito had fallen into a state of decline. He wasn't sleeping properly, or taking much care of his appearance. The young man was starting to look scruffy and ill kept. Signs of sleep deprivation where ravaging Makoto's usually handsome face.

How could the words of one woman alone throw him into such intense confusion? Even though Ito wouldn't admit it, the answer was indeed a simple one.

A world called Denial!

There was a war going on within Ito's mind. It was a battle between his head and his heart. Part of him was content with living in denial, trying to convince himself that his actions toward the ladies in school were justified in some crazy sense.

On the other hand, Makoto had been raised better than that. His mother always told him to live with a kind heart and respect those who loved him. It was getting to the point where two obvious sides of Makoto's personality were duelling for control.

At that stage no one really knew which part of his personality would land the winning blow. One thing was certain however...

Regardless of him wanting to or not, Ito would have to go back to school...

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><p>Makoto groaned as he came around from his short yet much desired slumber. The dark rings under his eyes were becoming so deep that it was unreal. Squinting, he managed to open his eyes and look at the ceiling of the dimly lit room. It was early morning from what he could tell, no later than Five or Six.<p>

There was a sharp pain in his head as Makoto sat upright. This severe lack of sleep was making things uncomfortable for him. It took him a mammoth effort, but eventually Makoto managed to get out of bed and stretch his aching body. His attention was quickly drawn to the state of his bedroom. He'd really let the standard of cleanliness decline in there.

It was a real dump at that moment. The carpet was littered with used tissues and his adult magazines. Old plates from his evening meals were beginning to stack up in one of the rooms corners. Not to mention he hadn't polished or cleaned up in a long time. In short, no one else had entered his room since Setsuna's departure to France.

The young man reached out to pick up his cell phone in a single pained movement. He was dreading turning it on. In fact, he hadn't even checked it for an entire two weeks now.

Sekai had attempted to come over about a week back, twice actually. Makoto was so wrapped up in his own mental labyrinth that he didn't even attempt to let her in. She waited there for hours and hours, but he never made a sound. Eventually she gave up, and she hadn't come back since. Given his mental state he was in no position to interact with her. Not in any form of proper fashion anyway.

Preparing for the worst, Makoto pressed down on the phone's power button. The sudden flash of light from the screen made his head hurt once again.

The 'PING' sound of received messages kept on repeating over and over. Just how many people had called and emailed him in the past week? He was getting slightly nervous just thinking about it. He had after all, walked away from school for almost a month without warning.

When the final count of received messages was in, Makoto gasped. He let the phone drop from his hand as the a wave of sheer disbelief swept over him. He glanced down at the screen, just to make sure it was right.

"You're kidding me..." A tone of bewilderment was plainly evident in Ito's voice.

**28 New Messages received from: Sekai Saionji **

**15 Messages received from: Otome Katou**

**53 New Messages received from: Kotonoha Katsura**

**1 New Message received from: Setsuna Kiyoura**

**37 Missed Calls**

Out of all the messages, the one from Kiyoura caught his attention the most. Two of the missed calls were from her as well. She was calling and messaging him, from France?

Everyone knew that Europe to Asia cell phone rates were colossal! It must have been something important!

At that point Ito's mind was made up. He'd go back to school, even if it was just to check out the situation he'd left behind. Something was clearly wrong for him to have gotten so many messages. That, or he was deeply missed by all the young women he had waiting for him.

It would be a serious problem for Makoto now. He wouldn't just have to face the young women he'd so casually walked away from. He'd also have to try and make sense of the final words Setsuna left him with. If he didn't make sense of them before long he'd start to go insane.

Was she right? Would THIS always be the consequence if he was allowed to carry on down such a tainted path?

These young women all yearned for him, even after been given promises of false hope. Even Katsura, who he'd already told he was breaking up with, had left left him a mass of obsessive text messages.

Ito's conscience was torn between acting in two different ways. His vastly corrupted ego was telling him to continue down his current path. After all, he'd eventually find it in his heart to settle with one woman, right?

On the other hand, his much neglected heart was telling him something very different. He never used to be like this after all. He didn't... Something was responsible for changing him into the person he had become now. Makoto needed to figure out the answer if there was to be any hope of him finding solitude within this situation.

His only option left was clear as daylight. Even though part of him just wanted to run away and start from scratch. His options were limited at best by now...

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><p>With yet another sigh, Makoto picked up his phone again. The young Japanese man ignored the text messages for the time being.<p>

Before he made any further actions, Ito had to satisfy his curiosity. Though he had very few reliable friends in school, there was one that always looked out for him, despite his lack of maturity. Makoto was thinking of Sawanaga of course.

He dialled the number and waited for some kind of response. The chances of Taisuke actually being awake at this hour were pretty much impossible. Makoto didn't care though. He'd just wake him up and talk to him that way. It was important after all.

Taisuke finally picked up after what seemed like forever. He let a groggy yawn escape from his mouth.

"Yeah... Yeah... What is it?" He clearly hadn't checked the caller ID to see it was Makoto.

"Hey... It's me." Ito answered.

"YOU!" There was a loud THUD

It was almost as if Taisuke had fallen out of bed through the shock of hearing Ito's voice!

"Where the hell have you been?" The tone in Sawanaga's voice was a frantic one.

"Away." That was Makoto's simple reply.

"I've had too much on my mind."

Sawanaga sat up in bed and put the phone to his ear.

"Saionji hasn't left me alone! She's been asking about you like crazy! She's asked half the student council where to find you too. That girls a wreck!"

Hearing that only made Makoto more hesitant about going back into school. It sounded like Sekai had gone through some serious emotional hell. His recent departure couldn't have done her any favours.

"Well don't worry, Taisuke... I'm coming back to school..."

Sawanaga fell deadly quiet after hearing his friend say that.

"When?" Taisuke was clearly too surprised to say anything more than that.

"First thing tomorrow morning..."

For the most part Taisuke stayed quiet. He knew that if Makoto did come back into school tomorrow, it would more than likely cause a big scene. Several young ladies had been worried about him. Not only that, but the Sensei of Class Three had also been making enquiries as to Makoto's prolonged absence.

Eventually, he found the energy to muster a response.

"Good luck... You'll need it."

Hearing those words from Sawanaga made Makoto fear the worst...

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><p><strong>Okay folks! This chapter has come to a close! We've seen Makoto's reaction to Setsuna's recent words. Not to mention Makoto is heading back into school shortly. What will he find when he arrives there?<strong>

**If you enjoyed that chapter I'd be very grateful for some feedback! The next chapter will be coming shortly! Thanks for taking the time to read this.**

**Oh, and on another note, I'm still deciding on possible Pairings. I'll keep you updated on things to come!**


	3. Remorse

**Okay folks…. I have no excuse to defend myself with this story. I ended up totally leaving it. You would be surprised what brought me back to it though. It was a Celldweller song. This story is officially being revived for a while, so I hope you will enjoy it.**

**Also, I advise that you listen to a certain song while reading this! Look up This is the End, by Celldweller. It perfectly fits the atmosphere of this chapter. Please enjoy the read!**

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><p><span><strong>The following night….<strong>

Makoto could not cope with the pressure of returning to school. In short he did not return at all. Instead, he made a different choice entirely. The truth was too simple for him to acknowledge at this point. He had simply developed a lust for intimacy that was powerful beyond his control. He had needs as a man. No matter how dark those needs had become, they needed to be fulfilled.

That was why he made a phone call…. It was also why Otome was travelling toward his house on the train at this very moment

The young lady needed little more than a text message from the young man she loved to act as her motivation. It was a very simple message as well. There was no glory or grand statement to be made with it. As Katou flipped up her phone, a gasp escaped from his rosy pink lips.

'Come and see me. Mom is at work until the morning.'

That was all that it said. Given that nobody had seen Makoto in weeks, this was the opportunity she needed. It was a chance to see her lover. Against all odds she had grasp the chance. She didn't tell anybody, and she left no note, far from it, in fact. The captain of the basketball team hastily changed out of her school uniform and threw on some jeans and a hoodie.

An hour passed on the train. All she could think about was the sole heartfelt desire of seeing Makoto. Most people saw him as an average guy. They said behind his back that he was so plain and uninteresting, but not Otome Katou, never. She knew him better than that. She had always known him better than that.

After been allowed inside his house, she was escorted to the living room. At first glance her beloved Ito seemed alright. He was clean and well presented. If not for the bags under his eyes, Otome would not have even realized that there was anything wrong with him.

"Don't go into my room," was the only thing he said to her.

As tall young lady with bright eyes placed herself on the couch, she couldn't help but ponder what had been said to her mere moments before.

"Don't go into his room? Why?" She asked herself in slight confusion.

Makoto was out of the room at this moment. He stood in the kitchen pouring a drink from the fridge. Having a girl in the house seemed to calm his nerves. It acted as a sedative for his chaotic soul right now. Slowly, he made his way back into the living room.

Upon his return, Otome made shy eye contact with him. "I hope you're feeling okay, Itou," she asked so very softly.

"I'm fine," was all he said in return. His tone was so uncaring. It squashed the conversation outright.

His eyes spoke an entirely different story, however. Even if nobody else could see it, Otome could see it. Knowing him for his entire school life made it easy to look into his heart.

"But you're not okay, are you?" she enquired gently.

Itou's eyes burned with fierce intensity. They had a lust to place his hands on this girl's body, and to take her right now. He knew of the love in her heart. Worse still, he knew that if he wanted to take her right now, he could have her. After all, he has come so very close to having her once before.

"I need somebody right now. I need anybody right now…."

Otome's eyes widened with shock at the words that Makoto spoke to her. His entire persona had changed in mere seconds. He looked, so very sad.

"Itou…. Darling…. Talk to me," She believed he was her darling. After all, why would he kiss her if he didn't love her?

The tragic thing was that she was blissfully unaware of the truth. She was being played this entire time. He was sleeping with both Karsura and Saionji. In fact, in earlier weeks he was lining Otome up as his third.

However, his heart didn't seem so inclined to follow through with his original plan. He simply sat there silently. His eyes however, pooled with sadness.

"I'm so sorry…. I'm so so so so sorry." As Makoto spoke, his voice cracked.

Tiny little sobs escaped from the young man. Right now, at this moment in time, it was more like he was a tiny little boy. He began to cry softly, and that was something men in Japanese culture were never supposed to do.

Otome reached out and held him tightly. She pulled him toward her chest and held him there softly.

"It's okay," She reassured him warmly. "You haven't hurt me…. I promise."

"You don't understand," He quickly responded. "I've done… so much to hurt people."

Makoto slowly inched away from Otome. His tearful gaze focused in on her powerful, compassionate eyes. "I never wanted to hurt you though, anybody but you."

The young lady was astounded to hear such words coming from her love's mouth.

"You've always been my best friend, ALWAYS," he said honestly, with sincerity and compassion.

By now, Otome's face was as red as a stop light. In fact, she could feel the fire in her cheeks.

"Itou…. Why are you saying all this?"

"Because I want to start again," Makoto admitted. His voice was near silent. His face was buried back into Otome's chest again.

For the longest time, Katou simply held the man that she loved. She knew little else that could be done to provide a more genuine form of comfort. This was clearly his time of need. It was obvious to Otome now just how troubled he really was.

So, in an attempt to bring him around, she took his hand in hers. As she rose to her feet, so did he, slowly and lethargically, "Come with me. Don't let go of my hand, okay?" once again her voice was so soft and gentle.

"Okay…. I trust you," It was his sole reply.

Slowly but cautiously Makoto was coaxed toward the door with Otome's help. There, she stood with him, and continued to hold his hand.

As Otome put her shoes back on, she gestured for the young man in her company to do the same.

However, he looked very nervous, "I don't think I can go outside."

Katou gave a smile of unparalleled warmth and softness.

Her grip on Makoto's hand remained gentle, but also comforting, "Come on…. Let's go out for a little while."

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><p>Before he even realized it, Makoto was slowly being escorted outside by his lady protector. He kept thinking about how amazing her personality was. Around the rest of the school she was a tomboy, but around him she had this loving innocence about her. The aura she projected for him was so very caring.<p>

They walked for a long time. The cool evening breeze was enough to make Makoto shudder slightly. Regardless, Katou kept her grip on his hand. Before too long, Itou found that he had been brought to the park.

Katou gave a soft smile before letting the grip on his hand go. She playfully wandered over to a swing and sat down, and beakoned for Makoto to do the same. After doing that, they both found themselves gazing up at the moon together.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Otome smiled in awe of the lovely sight.

For the first time in weeks, Makoto felt a genuine wave of happiness. For once, he hadn't needed to sex to find it.

"Thank you for bringing me out here, Katou," He said.

The young lady smiled again, "You're welcome."

The two silently continued to gaze up at the moon together. Itou hadn't returned to school, but this was a start….

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><p><strong>Thank you for taking the time to read this everybody. This story is actually one of the best received I've written! I'm grateful for all the support with it too! Thank you very much again. Any and all feedback is most appreciated! See you later for the next chapter!<strong>


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